Fate: Hidden Order
by Thanatos's Scribe
Summary: You know, a good number of SI have the protagonist either becoming a bumbling idol, the center of a newly-found harem or becoming OP from their knowledge. Surely that's the case when you're supposed to die in the prologue, right? ...Aha. Ahaha. AHAHAHAHAHA! (SI-OC, light crack)
1. Prologue 1 - Error 404: Hero Not Found

_**Well, it's been a** **while** **since I've written any form of creative writing. Still, I've recently received a massive boost thanks to watching Fate/Apocrypha and Fate/Extra Last Encore. However, the main inspiration for me was the Fate/Grand Order game and movie, the latter giving me the inspiration to write this.**_

 _ **...Well, enough time with the retrospective chatter. Onto the story!**_

* * *

 **Prologue 1 - Error 404: Hero Not Found**

The sound of furious typing could be heard as moonlight barely illuminated the closed room, the pale beams diluted by the vibrant colors from the computer screen.

"Come on, come on, come on…," The teen at the screen muttered as he stared intensely at the screen, his fingers darting from key to key as he watched the gameplay. Yep, that's me. Not really much to describe, physically. Short black hair, a slightly chunky build and a pair of glasses resting on the bridge of my nose. To be honest, the words 'average' would probably be the best word to describe me overall.

On-screen, my character barely dodged a blast of fire from the opposing wizard, firing three ice blasts in response that managed to trap them with a slow effect. Switching my POV from third-person to first-person, I began charging the Reign of Light so that I could - Oh, you've gotta be kidding me!

"Goddamnit, PrismWizard!," I shouted into my microphone, slamming his fists on the keyboard in fury at my character was finished off by the poison effect of a friend's Magical Girl-inspired Rogue PC, "I thought we agreed on no friendly fire this raid!"

 _"_ _You were the one who said that, not me!,"_ An elderly, yet somehow vigorous voice cackled through the speakers, and I let out a groan as I leaned back in my seat, waiting for my character to respawn. Why was it I was friends with him again? To be honest, with how much of a troll he was at times, it was hard to remember. Still, his skill with MMO games definitely helped with some off the quests, and it was nice to have someone to bounce Fate/Stay Night ideas off of from time to time, even if he was rather adamant on the 'can' and 'can't's of the Type-Moon universe.

Seeing that the respawn option was now available, I clicked the tab and my character resurrected in the main spawn point before sending my character racing towards the raid boss's location, the process accelerated with the help of a Warpgate.

 _"_ _By the way, Alex, did I mention that there was a new version of Fate/Grand Order coming out soon?,"_ PrismWizard asked as the two of us began to focus on the main Raid Boss, a Gigantic Glacial Golem that had a tendency to spam slow effects. I blinked in surprise at the question, having not expected the question.

"Really?," I said into the microphone as I blasted the Golem with a Thunder Rush that sending it stumbling back with the knockback effect. "Would've thought that it'd be announced by now."

 _"_ _Well, it's still technically in the closed beta session, but I was lucky enough to get a couple copies for personal use. You want the extra copy?,"_ PrismWizard asked as he got the Golem with a preset Iron Trap, bringing it down to the last HP bar. As I began charging the Reign of Light, I began thinking the offer. While it was not exactly legal to publicly share closed betas, the potential of checking out the new Fate: Grand Order… Screw it, I'm going to give it a shot!

"Sure, just send it over after we finish this raid boss," I finally answered, and PrismWizard gave a chuckle in response, before silence filled our mics for the next few minutes, save for the sound effects in-game and the occasional shout of warning. Soon, the golem fell thanks to a mix of Fire Elemental spells and Instant Traps PrismWizard constantly threw at its feet. With the boss defeated, I logged out of the game and opened my Dropbox, the voice chat still running thanks to a third-party program.

 _"_ _Alright, just sent the file over,"_ PrismWizard said, and my Dropbox alarm chimed, as if right on-cue. Clicking the file, the program immediately began downloading, though the title 'kld_.scp' was a bit unusual.

As the file continued downloading, the size of the folder being larger than expected, I couldn't help but ask PrismWizard, "So, how's the gameplay?"

 _"_ _While I can't say too much for the sake of spoilers, I can say that it's definitely... immersive,"_ PrismWizard answered with a rather devious chuckle. Almost reminded me of when he led me into that Dire Wolf ambush...

A sudden ping drew my thoughts away, and I realized that the file was finished downloading. "Huh. That was fast," I commented, clicking the file open. The file stalled for a few seconds, the screen seeming to freeze before cutting completely to black.

Several seconds passed in silence as I waited for the computer to load the program, but after nearly a minute of nothing happening, I began to get worried. "Hey Prism, you sure the file's the right one?" The only response I got was the faint static across the connection, and I leaned over to the screen, tapping it in hopes of getting the program starting.

A sudden flash of light seemed to dart across the screen, and I leaned back, watching the screen as multicolored beams of light began to jump from the center of the screen. In fact, the beams of light seem to be almost jumping out of the screen.

"Oh sweet Jesus, my eyes!," I shouted as I fell back, blinded by the rush of lights. I tried to close my eyes, but that didn't help at all. Soon, my mind started to waver as the lights continued to assault me, and my mind soon shut down from the overload assault.

* * *

I let out a groan as I came to, a headache pounding on the inside of my head like a jackhammer. "Fuck, what the hell happened?," I muttered as I looked up at the white walls. Last I remembered, the lights had been blasting my eyes like a firehose and-

Wait, when did I have white walls?

My thoughts came to a halt as I realized that I wasn't in my room anymore. That didn't make any sense. The only other person who could've entered the apartment was the landlord, and they were out for the weekend for a funeral.

Spotting two slips of paper resting on the nightstand with 'Alex' written on the front (and I have to say, the nightstand is a rather nice one), I grabbed the closest one and opened it, silently reading the note inside:

 _'_ _Sorry about dropping this on you, Alex, but due to a certain event that's going to be happening soon, I needed someone to help take care of the Singularities. I can't affect it personally thanks to the Singularities keeping me from entering the world until they're taken care of, so it looks like it's up to you. Good luck with handling Fate: Grand Order on your own, kiddo!_

-Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg'

I slowly set the note down on the nightstand, an new twitch starting to develop underneath my right eye. I took in a deep, steady breath, trying to calm myself. After all, it's Fate/Grand Order. I've played the game enough to know who the big bads, summons and noticeable threats are. I can get through this without any issue, right?

...Oh, who the hell am I kidding? I take in one last calm breath before immediately descending into a panicked rage, flipping the nightstand over in the process.

"Void fucking-!"


	2. Prologue 2 - Mistaken Self-Identity

**_Author's Note: Holy crap, I wasn't expecting the fic to boom as strong as it did! To be honest, I wasn't expecting to get so many followers on the first chapter. Thanks a lot, everyone! Still, I apologize for taking so long for this to get out, but I've been mainly caught up with stuff IRL, but after nearly a month of waiting, here's Chapter 2!_**

* * *

 **Prologue 2 - Mistaken Self-Identity**

I panted heavily as my raging finally petered. Whether by subconscious desire or just sheer luck, the worst damage happened to be the potted tree in the corner now tipped over and spilling dirt on the floor and the nightstand flipped over.

Sitting back down on the bed, I buried my head in my hands as I contemplated where the hell to go from here. Given how the note said that the Singularities was going to be soon, I can only guess that I'm still in the Prologue, possibly even before the Prologue entirely. Wish he had given me a guide to how I can use my magecraft. Still, I best get myself ready for when the Prologue begins… or if it began. Fuck, I should try to find out where I am timewise. Why the hell didn't the note say anything?

...Wait, wasn't there a second note?

I bent over, looking for the note. I grabbed the closest sheet and opened it - Oh wait, this is the first note. Onto the bed it goes.

After some more searching, I finally found the note, the sheet somehow having slipped under the bed.

 _'P.S.: You might want to check the closet. There's something in there you'll need to get ready.'_

Well, that was a load of help. I don't even know where the closet is!

Thankfully, it didn't take as long to find the closet hidden as a panel in the wall, the indent of a handle being an sign of its presence. As for what was inside? A leatherback journal. Not sure how this will help. Maybe there's a spell or summoning catalyst inside?

Opening the book, I was surprised to find my own name written on the inside. Did this belong an alternate me? Actually, given how I'm the 'foreign' one, perhaps this belongs to the 'original' me. Hard to tell when it comes to the Kaleidoscope. Well, I'm sure I have enough time to read this before the prologue starts.

Turning to the next page, I began to read the entries written down:

 _'July 18th:_

 _This is the first entry into my journal of the occult. A week ago, while on vacation with some friends, I managed to come across an abandoned cabin deep in the North Woods, the building in surprisingly good condition. While there wasn't anyone inside, I managed to find several old books stored in a hidden compartment under the bed._

 _I'm having difficulties translating the majority of what's written down, the terminology seems to suggest being based around the alteration and fusion of animals to make chimeric creatures. While a bit off-putting (and admittedly disturbing), I'll need to read further in order to find out what the tomes are meant to accomplish.'_

Well, this is certainly an interesting little factoid. Apparently, this 'me' came across some tomes that belonged to a magus, and was translating them. Still didn't give any hints in regards to using magecraft, though… Or at least, I hope I'll be able to use it. Jumping forward a few pages, most of which were filled with summaries of the tomes 'I' read, I finally found an entry that was a tad more relevant:

 _'August 9th:_

 _I found a ritual listed in the second tome that is supposed to help awaken the 'latent magic circuits' in a being. While the method is a tad dubious, especially with the person needing to consume a 'prana-intensive item', I suspect some of the more exotic plants I saw around the cabin will work. I'll need to wait until the weekend to go up and get the items needed.'_

 _'August 17th:_

 _It worked! The ritual actually worked! It seems to have activated a second sensory system in my body, almost akin to a nervous system that I can feel pulsing under my skin. Granted, I don't know how to use my circuits yet, but the fact that I've activated them alone is a good enough sign!_

 _On a separate note, activating your magic circuits hurts. A lot. Might not be able to continue experiments until my body heals.'_

 _ **'**_ _ **August 20th:**_

 _Apparently the world of magic isn't as forgotten as I thought: Just well-hidden. Yesterday, a woman came to my house named Alice Carroll. After sending my family out via some form of hypnotism, she told me that the magic society, or 'magus' society, has been hidden from the public since magic becomes weaker the more people who know about it. As such, I've been given two options: Either become a magus under her employ and teaching, and learn how to do magic, or get my memories erased, if not be outright killed._

 _To be honest, I'm not sure if it's the smartest move for me to agree to her demand. Still, I hope that I'll be able to actually learn magic from her. Especially since she took all the tomes I found with her…_

Well, this is definitely informative. But it still didn't give me any info as to how 'I' use Magecraft. And as cool as Waver is near the end and during Apocrypha, being limited to alchemy, especially when I'm going to be constantly fighting, would honestly suck like a bi-

A sudden beep from above drew me out of my musings, a male voice chiming in without further warning. _"Mr. Robertsson, the orientation is about to start in 20 minutes!"_

"I'll be right there," I called back, throwing the journal into the locker and shut it tight. Robertsson's 'my' last name? Talk about generic.

With the journal safely secured until I got back, I grabbed the facility jacket from the hanger and walked over to the doorway. The door swished open, separating into two as it slid away and I looked up and down the hallway. The game honestly got the appearance down pretty accurate, albeit somewhat nondescript. Couldn't really tell which way led to the orientation room, though, and with Mash not in sight, I hope that Zelretch's meddling didn't screw over the prologue.

Thankfully, it looks like I got a guide in the form of a blonde teen also dressed in the Chaldea attire walking towards me. A rather attractive girl, at that, with perfect blonde hair running down to the small of her back and flawless skin... Shaking my head out of my daydreams, I raised a hand to wave at them. "Hello there!," I said, raising a hand in greeting. "Would you happen to know where the orientation room is?"

The woman looked over, her pale blue eyes locking onto me before giving a sneer. "Well, I suppose that I could be kind enough to assist you," She answered, before brushing past me. "Follow me, and I'll lead you there."

Geez, talk about getting the cold shoulder. Still, doesn't seem like there's anyone else to help lead me over… With little complaint, I fell behind her, taking quiet steps as she walked down the hallway. Thankfully, it didn't take long for us to arrive at an elevator, and once we entered, the door slid shut and we began to descend. With the whir of the gears being the only noise next to us, I looked over at her. "So, what's your name?"

The blonde looked over her shoulder at me, giving me a cold stare before saying, "Seeing as how you're willing enough to listen, I best introduce myself." Turning around to face me, she flicked her hair over before announcing herself. "I am Despoina Dioland, current heir of the Dioland family. And who are you?"

"Oh, I'm Alex Robertsson. Pleasure to meet you, Despoina," I responded, holding a hand out for shaking. Despoina looked down at it, though, and gave yet another sneer before turning away. "Bitch," I muttered under my breath, and shoved my hand into my pocket as we arrived at the bottom floor. Oh, well. Given what's going to happen to her, what with the sabotage and all, I guess I can give her a little lee-way.

Stepping out of the elevator, I couldn't help but gape at the size of the Chaldea system, the machinery surrounding it dwarfing me entirely-

"You there!"

I flinched at the sudden shout, and turned to spot a white-haired woman in gold and black attire walking hurriedly towards me, locking a glare right on me.

"You're one of the public magi, aren't you?," She asked, not letting up on her glare.

"Yes, ma'am," I answered, nodding in agreement to Olga's admission. Damn, almost forget about her. I mean, I know that she was one of the driving characters in the plot, but she died in the prologue! How I was supposed to remember her name?

"I see…," She said, trailing off for several seconds as she looked at me with a scrutinizing gaze. After several seconds, she said, "So, you're Candidate Number 43," She said, and gestured over to the benches, where several other magi were starting to gather. "Go sit in the last row, and wait for the orientation to start."

"You got it, ma'am," I said, and sat down at the bench, looking around at the other candidates as they gathered for the orientation. Man, most of them are in their teens. I think I might actually be the oldest one here, save for Olga. Not sure how this'll affect my relation with Mash-

Wait, didn't Olga call me Candidate Number 43?

Crap, I hope that was a simple mistake. If I'm not Candidate #48, then that means I'm not the protagonist! If that's the case, then I'm going to die in the explosion! I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die-

A sudden cough snapped me out of my internal panicking, and I looked up to see Olga standing in front of the group. "Everyone, if you'll get seated, we'll begin orientation shortly," She announced, and the other candidates began to settle down. However, the last two seats remained unoccupied, and with more people sitting down, I began to worry that Mash wasn't going to show up. I wasn't the only one noticing this, though, as Olga looked at the empty seats with disdain before asking, "Where are Candidates 47 and 48?"

"Right here, Director!," I heard a female voice call out from behind, the sound of running shoes drawing closer, "Sorry for being late, but I took a wrong turn while leading them here" Looking over at the source, I saw Mash drawing closer, with a brown-haired man in green - I think his name is Levi, or something similar - with her being followed by… both of the protagonist avatars?

...Ah, fuck.


	3. Prologue 3 - A Sealed Fate Cracked Open

_**Author's Note: It's been a while since I've updated this, huh? Hehehe…*Ducks behind the desk, barely avoiding a slew of weapons fly overhead.* Fair point.**_

 _ **In my defense, though, I've been rather busy the past few months with college projects. But now that the semester's over, I've got a lot more time, and have enough time to actually write two whole chapters! That's enough to fix the issue, right?**_

 _ **…**_ _ ***Ducks behind the desk again* Enjoy the chapter!**_

* * *

 **Prologue 3 - A Sealed Fate Cracked Open**

"Very well," Olga consented, and I turned back to see her level a glare at the two before pointing at the end of the bench, "Mash, you can stand at the back, while _you two_ -," Her voice gained a sharp bite to it, her glare seeming to increase, "Can take the remaining seats." The red-haired girl stammered, but relented, pulling the boy over with her by the hand.

With all the candidates now here, Olga cleared her throat, drawing our attention back on her, and started speaking. "Welcome to the Chaldea Security Organization. I am the director, Olga Marie Animusphere," Olga began, gesturing to herself before leveling a glare at all of us, "You have all been selected or discovered from each nation for your rare talent. By that, I mean the potential of doing a Spiritron Dive. Each of you have the magic circuits and qualifications to become a Master."

As Olga continued to talk, I glanced over at the two at the end, the red-haired girl nudging the brunette next to her to keep him awake. While I vaguely remember her popping up in the First Order movie, I didn't remember her being connected to the male protagonist. Perhaps they're twins? I hope that this is the case, or Mash is going to be left heart-broken…

"Silence! Enough!," Olga snapped, and I looked back right at her along with the other candidates at her exclamation, "If you don't like what I am saying, then leave Chaldea immediately!" Several seconds passed, with no-one bothering to stand up or even hint at leaving, she gave a nod. "Fine then," She said, closing her eyes as she continued to lecture us, "Just so you know, Chaldea has never seen this many-"

A sudden loud snore cut her off, and the whole room turned to look at the interrupter. Said interrupter happened to be the male Fujimaru (hard to say what his first name was, especially since they haven't said it yet), who had fallen fast asleep in the short bit we had looked away. Damn, talk about being exhausted. The redhead next to him shook him frantically to try and wake him up, but as Olga began to walk towards them, she gave a nervous smile before hastily saying, "I'm so sorry about this, Animusphere-sama! He just overexerted his circuits during the simulation, and the loss of energy's left him exhausted, and-" As she tried to give more excuses, you could practically see the tick marks increase on Olga's head before she grabbed him by the head and slammed his head against the seat in front of him.

"In that case, why don't you help him get his beauty sleep? Because you're both excluded from the first mission!," She shouted, yanking the dazed Magus out of his seat. The girl(sister? Damn, I really should find out how they're related) stammered, trying to give an excuse for him, but Olga grabbed them by the arms and dragged them to the door, earning some smothered giggles. This finally escalated with Olga flinging them into the hallway like an older sister from her room, and Mash was barely able to follow them out before the door shut tight.

Taking in a deep breath, Olga turned around and walked back to the front of the room, silencing any chuckles with a stern glare. "Now that we've removed any distractions from the orientation," She stated, daring anyone to make a comment, "It's time we started discussing how you'll be handling the Spiritron Dive. Once you've been properly outfitted for the dive, you'll be entering the Chaldea Spiritron Coffin." The screen between Olga and the globe that is CHALDEA flickered before revealing a tall metal cylinder, a glass panel being the main entrance.

"The coffins, which have been donated by the Atlas Academy staff, will be compounded with the LAPLACE system to keep your body stabilized while rayshifting," Marie told us, the image on the screen changing to show 48 coffins placed in several half-circles.

"Now, in order to keep the mission successful, each of you have been assigned to one of two teams: A-Team, who will be the primary Masters; and B-Team, who will be supporting A-Team with the Servants summoned. Once you have successfully Rayshifted, you will be paired with a Servant thanks to the FATE System until the event has been fixed.

"Is there anything else that needs to be discussed?," She asked, giving another glare across the room for anyone to comment. When no one else responded, she gave a final nod before telling us, "In that case, you all have 30 minutes to gather your materials and changing into the assigned Rayshift outfits before Rayshifting. You are all dismissed!"

With the meeting now called to an end, the candidates around me began to disperse. Some of them gathered into small groups, quietly chatting amongst themselves. Thankfully, a larger portion of them headed out of the conference room, most likely to grab materials so it was rather easy to mix in with them without showing my growing panic. I mean, I don't know any magecraft. Hell, I don't even know how to activate my circuits! All it'll take is to fail the Rayshift, and I'll both be outed and shipped off to the Clock Tower faster than they'll slap a Sealing Designation on me!

Once the crowd of Magi (Maguses?) had split, I broke my barely composed walk into a sprint, barreling past a skinny grey-haired guy who was waiting for the elevator to keep going up. Within less than a minute, I slid into my room, the automatic door rapidly shutting behind me. "Fuck-fuck-fuck-fuck-fuck!," I rapidly curse as I yank the journal of my past's Magecraft experience back out, rapidly tearing through the pages. For fuck's sake, there has to be something that I could learn or use before the explosion happens!

As I rapidly churn through the pages, I finally noticed a page in the middle of the book with the word 'Reinforcement' written in big letters at the top. Slamming the book down on its spine, I jumped back to the page where the word was marked, before beginning to read what was written down.

 _' October 12th,_

 ** _Reinforcement_**

 _While I haven't gained enough skill with Structural Analysis yet, Reinforcement is perhaps one of the most versatile and vague forms of magecraft I've discovered so far out there. According to Alice, Reinforcement is used to alter the physical traits of an object, boosting its existing properties to enhance its functionality. Two prime examples of this she gave includes making a knife blade sharper and changing the shape of an object, but complete success requires both a knowledge of the intended object, commonly with the help of Structural Analysis, and a clear knowledge of what the boosted property is. While I have the basics down, I still need to complete working on Structural Analysis before my Reinforcements cause eventual degradation and destruction of the object._

 _In addition, it is also possible to alter an object's purpose or effect by giving it a property it didn't have, such as elasticity or reflecting heat, through a process known as Alteration. However, I don't know yet how to do that, but hopefully I'll get the chance to be try it out. Thankfully, I've got another session set up with Alice coming up tomorrow, so hopefully I'll work on Analysing soon.'_

Well, that… was honestly not that helpful. I mean, it definitely helped give some idea as to how Reinforcement works, but without the knowledge of how Structural Analysis works, I can't exactly use it. Hell, I don't know even know how to activate my circuits! Without that, I don't think I'll be able to use Magecraft!

Flipping back through the previous pages, the next several minutes passed as I frantically searched for 'my' trigger. While it did mention some details regarding Structural Analysis and focusing od, it didn't say anything about the trigger explicitly, so they were all useless. My frantic searching was eventually cut off as the intercom popped up overhead.

 _"_ _Attention all volunteers,"_ A man's voice commented, _"10 minutes remain before the Spiritron Dive begins. Please finish preparations, and return to the orientation room to begin the dive."_

The intercom cut off, and I frowned in frustration. Crap, I honestly thought I had longer to take care of this. In that case, I better get into the Chaldea uniform, then. Sliding the journal back into the hidden compartment, I looked over at the bed before grabbing the available uniform. The pic in the game honestly got the male uniform down, especially regarding the white-black coloring scheme. Once I got it on, though, it was definitely tighter than expected. Not sure if it was due to being an 'one-size-fits-all' outfit, or due to personal girth. Didn't have much time left to critique the outfit, though, as I popped back out into the hallway and booked it to the meeting room.

Thankfully, I managed to get close enough that I joined in with the stragglers, and filed in with the rest. Some of the magi had pouches full of what I could only assume held their Magecraft resources. Perhaps a Mystic Code, too? A sudden cough from behind me, though, drew my attention away from watching the crowd of Magi. Less than 20 feet away, Olga Marie stood tall and proud as she looked over us, Mash standing nervously next to her.

"Everyone, prepare for Rayshifting!," She snapped, and the Magi around me began gathering into four rows. Wait, is there a designated order? Deciding it was better safe than sorry, I dropped to the back row, slipping into the third slot from the left. This garnered a few looks from the Magi on each side of me, but they thankfully didn't say anything as Animusphere began to pace before the crowd.

"Now that everyone is prepared for Rayshifting," Olga began, seeming to dare anyone to comment or respond, "I'll be covering the practical application one last time, and which groups we'll be sending you in." A few Magi rolled their eyes at this, but didn't comment as she tapped a button on her wristwatch, bringing a hologram up that I honestly couldn't make out from the back.

"Once you've gotten into your Rayshift coffins and have a steady Spiritron level, the technicians will transport you in two teams: A-Team, the main seven Magi who will be heading to the Singularity first; And B-Team, which will consist of the rest of you in the event A-Team's unable to handle the mission by themselves. Is that all?"

"No, ma'am!," The Magi quickly respond in tandem, my voice barely trailing behind theirs as we saluted her.

"In that case, proceed to your designated Rayshift coffins, and prepare for the Dive!," She told us, and we turned as one before walking onto the still, liquid surface. The 'pool' was surprisingly solid, almost like walking on a puddle atop cement. The water was broken, though, as two 'rings' of Coffins rose up in the pool, standing tall like metal pillars. Seeing the other Magi start to enter the coffins, with the 'A-Team' entering Coffins with the numbers 01-07, I made my way to the back of the room before stopping in front of Rayshift Coffin #43.

As if knowing I was standing right in front of the it, the glass lid slid down, and I only gave a moment of hesitation before stepping inside. The coffin sealed back up in a single movement, and despite not being able to clearly see into the control rooms, I gave a glare at the center room, a green blob inside that could only be Lev visible even from this distance. Bet he was cackling inside at how we're going to blasted in a short bit. Fucker.

Seeing as how there's nothing left to do, I laid back against the back of the coffin, closing my eyes. So this is it, huh? Going out not in my own way, but by getting crushed under a mass of rocks.

...No.

Like hell I'm dying here.

 ** _A drop of crystalline water falls down and breaks the water tension, sending a ripple across the surface._**

 _I refuse to die like this!_

Eyes snapping back open, my hands slapped onto the glass lid. A wave of heat seemed to course through the coffin as I felt something course through me, and jagged lines of blue light appeared on both my arms and the glass of the surface.

"Reinforce durability and kinetic absorption!," I grit out, the heat radiating in the coffin nearly overwhelming my. It didn't take long for the explosives to hit, and a shock wave seemed to be somehow visibly rush through the air. Even with my attempt at Reinforcement, I was flung to the back of the coffin, the collision knocking me out when my head bashed against metal.

* * *

I'm not sure how long I was out, but the sound of crashing stone brought me out of my stupor. I shook the stars out of my vision and tried to get back up, only to cry out in pain. Blinking the tears away, I looked down to see vivid burns lining my palms. I couldn't just stay in here, though. Pressing up against the cracked glass door, I tried to push the coffin open, only to stop as the burns sent arcs of searing pain up my arms.

"Shit!," I cussed, falling away from the glass and shaking my hands to cool my hands down. Laying back inside the coffin, I leaned forwards, trying to see what it was like outside.

The room was now covered with rubble, massive chunks of stone laying around the room. While I couldn't see a lot of the other Coffins, the few I could see were tilted over, with the other Masters I could spot being knocked out in their coffins. The klaxon of an alarm kept blaring through the massive room, only broken by a robotic voice giving updates.

"The central bulkhead will be closing in 60 seconds. All remaining personnel, please evacuate from the Rayshift area," The voice stated, and I winced as I heard the countdown. As much as I was happy to still be alive, I needed to get out of here before it started!

As I tried to get back up, I heard splashing drawing closer behind me before both of the protagonists darted past me. "Mash?," The male protagonist shouted, looking around for her before running away, "Mash, where are you?"

"Ristuka, over here!," The female protagonist called out, trying to lift up a massive block. While I couldn't see how Mash was, Ristuka seemed to gasp in shock before running over to her. While I was worried about how she was, I was more worried about how long I had until the Rayshift began...

"Rayshift System Transferring To Final Stage," An automated voice resonated through the room, only confirming my thoughts, "Coordinates: A.D. 2004. January 30th. Fuyuki, Japan. LAPLACE Conversion Protection Enabled."

"Hey," I rasped, trying to call out to them. However, it came out as nothing more than a wheeze, and I coughed several times before swallowing to quench the parched sensation. Clenching my fists, I slammed them against the glass in hopes of getting their attention. However, it seemed that they were out of range for them to really hear me.

As the bulkhead audibly closed shut with a hiss, sealing us inside, I laid back and thought over what will happen in Fuyuki. Once we're transported there, I'll most likely have deal with skeletons, and also some dragon tooth warriors. However, it shouldn't be too hard to handle them, so long as I play it smart. The Servants, on the other hand...

"Seeking - Qualified Masters - Seeking," The robotic voice stated, making me jolt up in shock. Wait, did I not qualify as a Master? Shit, if that's the case, I'm most certainly going to die. Come on, CHALDEA, please pick me up, please detect me...

"Re-Establishing Contact with Suitable Designates Numbers 43, 47, and 48."

Oh, thank god. Letting out a sigh of relief, I leaned back against the coffin. As felt a feeling of weightlessness enveloped me, I closed my eyes and waited for the Rayshifting to begin. Well, looks like I'm going to Fuyuki. Here's to hoping I survive.

"Rayshift Beginning in 3… 2… 1..."

A blast of blue slid past my eyelids, and I felt something grip me by the gut before I was knocked out cold.


	4. Singularity F - Chapter 1

**Singularity F: Chapter 1 - Out Of The Pan, Into The Cursed Fire**

The crackling sound of flames was the first thing I heard as I returned to consciousness. Even without opening my eyes, I winced at the permeating through the city. While I knew that it was a city-wide fire, it seemed to have some form of deeper… malevolence to it. Still, I best get up and find who my Servant is…

Taking in a deep breath, my eyes snapped open when my sinuses were flooded with ash. Sitting up, I coughed at the sooty stench before looking around. Despite Fuyuki City being a sprawling city in Fate/Stay Night, it was now a barren city that was decrepit and abandoned. Black clouds blocked the sky from view, with plumes of smoke adding to the cloak of darkness. The only sources of light was the red aura on the horizon, painting the town in shades of red.

Well, as fascinatingly disturbing as this was, I better find out who my Servant is before I get swarmed by any skeletons or Servants. However, when I looked around for anyone who could possibly be my Servant, there seemed to be a distinct lack of anything Servant-like, or even anyone, period… Looking down at my hands, I couldn't help but gulp as I saw that there weren't any markings on my hands. "Crap, crap, crap," I muttered to myself, pulling my sleeves up in hopes that the Command Seals were there, getting more worried as I didn't find any. Shit, I'm Servant-less. If that's the case, then I better find the Fujimarus and Mash before I become skele-fodder food! Wait, if that's the case, then how did-?

A flash of red in the sky snapped me out of my thoughts. Looking up, I tried to spot whatever the splash of light was. Unfortunately, whatever it was vanished from view before I could get a good look at it.

...Why am I getting sudden Fate/Apocrypha flashbacks?

The sky seems to sparkle with red where the red 'comet' disappeared from, the only warning that something was wrong. My eyes widened in horror as a rain of crimson arrows flew towards me, and I ran towards the nearest building. However, I was barely able to get out of range when the first arrows struck, the blast knocking me head-over-heels into the nearest building. A hearty smack was audible as I struck stone and cement. However, I couldn't afford to lay there like a sitting duck. Pushing myself away from the wall, earning another wince as my burns were further aggravated, I gave a worried glance in the direction the arrow came from before running to a nearby doorway and entered the store.

Once I had ducked inside, I glanced out the window before running deeper into the store. It was only when I got deeper inside, in an restroom entryway, that I collapsed and began hyperventilating. Shit, that was too fucking close! What even was that attack? I know that EMIYA is the main Archer for this Singularity, but last I checked, Hrunting and Caladbolg II don't appear as a rain of red arrows! Must've been another Phantasm, then. Perhaps one that can split into many, such as Kazikli Bey?

My inner monologue was cut short as I heard a sudden clatter that could be best described as bones clattering together began drawing closer. Wait, was that the skeletons from Fuyuki? Deciding that it was worth the risk, I poked my head out of the hallway to see a group of four skeletons standing outside the glass door. As if seeing me, the skeletons turned their skulls towards me and began chattering, giving voiceless cackles at me. They then turned to the skeleton in the back, said cadaver lacking a left arm and weilding a chipped axe, and it walked up to the glass before slamming the butt of the axe into the window. Several cracks formed from the single impact, and I ducked back behind the entryway for safety.

Taking in deep breaths, I wiped my brow before looking around the store. There has to be something I can use to defend myself. Popping my head out into the main room, I glanced around the room before narrowing my eyes. The store floor had cooking equipment stationed all over the room, with stoves and ovens plugged into the walls, while chopping knives and pans were hung in display cases. However, the biggest thing that caught my eye was a wok hanging up against the wall. Made of solid, hammered steel and at least two feet in diameter, it was easily the biggest pan on the floor. Should be perfect for smashing skeleton skulls in and repelling spear thrusts.

A sudden shattering made me jerk my head back towards the window. The glass was now completely shattered, the skeletons already starting to jump into the store. Crap, got to get to the wok! Not bothering to keep looking at them, I turned around and began running to the cooking ware. Darting between the aisles, I heard bony cackles and clanging right behind me, suggesting that the skeletons were running through or atop the shelves. Several seconds passed as I ran towards the wok, the skeletons drawing closer. When I got within ten feet, I reached out, grabbed the wok by its extended handle, and lugged it up from the table before spinning around with a scream, the weight of the pan spinning it to stand horizontally.

My eyes widened as the wok slammed into the shoulder of a skeleton, its empty sockets less than a few feet from mine and the sword nearly impaling me through the eyes. Thankfully, the force of the swing pushed the skeleton away, slamming it into a cabinet before its rib cage was crushed under the weight of the blow. The undead was already fading into energy, but I hardly had time to focus on that when two more skeletons charged towards me. Lifting the wok back up, I stepped back to avoid a spear thrust before throwing myself onto the shaft. This ended up pinning the polearm to a metal cabinet, keeping the undead in place until I slammed the wok on its head. The warrior collapsed into a pile of bones, but I was soon forced on the defensive as the third skeleton swung its sword at me.

Ducking back to avoid the blade, I began backing up rapidly, avoiding the swings of the sabre. Despite the skeleton being literally nothing but bones, the warrior's swings packed power behind them. Each blow sent items flying off the shelves, and deep cuts were left in the shelves that weren't knocked over. Eventually, the skeleton raised its sword up high, and I lifted the wok up to block it. A loud clang resonated through the store when the blow landed, and I ended up falling to my knees as I tried to keep the wok raised.

As the pressure grew in strength, I let one hand go, and began to scrabble around for something I could use to fight back. Feeling around on the ground, I grabbed something metal on the ground, and with the skeleton nearly pushing the wok out of my hand, I swung underneath the wok with whatever I grabbed, striking at their legs. The metal object struck the shins, and the skeleton went down like a sack of… well, bones. I was able to lift the wok up and, with a shout of rage, brought it slamming down.

With the third skeleton now fading away, I hissed in pain as the rush of battle began to wear off. Taking a few shaky steps to the bathroom, I ended up collapsing in the aisle, the wok clattering on the floor, along with the dented meat tenderizer I had grabbed in haste. While I had been able to ignore the pain during the fight, the burns have made holding the wok unbearable now. I should probably get something over these before the burns get worse. Wiping the sweat off my brow, I grabbed the wok before getting back up, looking for some cloth. Thankfully, there seem to be some relatively clean green aprons under a tipped oven, so it shouldn't be too hard to-

...Wait, what happened to the other skeleton?

A burst of chattering suddenly behind me made me turn around, and my eyes widened in shock as the axe-wielding skeleton lunged at me, swinging the hatchet wildly. When the skeleton went for an overhead swing, I ducked to the side before rushing forwards, crashing into them. I ended up bringing both of us down in the rush. The skeleton gave a chattering cry, seemingly enraged by this, but was quickly silenced as I crushed its skull with a meat tenderizer. With the skeleton now fading like its kin, I left the wok behind and stumbled over to the aprons. It took some strength to get one out, but some nearby kitchen knives made it easy to tear into strips. Once I wrapped the strips around my hands, I grabbed the wok, a meat tenderizer, and threw a shopping bag over my shoulder before looking at what was left.

While the skeletons had mostly dissolved by now, there were a few items left behind. For starters, the axe wielded by the skeleton was thankfully still remained, so into the shopping bag it goes. Sure, the spear was still around, but given the lack of flesh, slashing would work a lot better than piercing right now.

The more interesting remains, though, were the three dark red bones laying behind. Femurs, I think. Picking one up, I shivered at the inner heat that seemed to permeate from it before sliding it into the shopping bag. Admittedly, Cursed Bones (or at least, I'm assuming that was what these are) aren't usable in-game outside of Ascension and Skill Upgrading, but given how they're cursed, they'll honestly have more of a spiritual presence than the axe or wok, meaning that they'll be better for fighting off Servants.

...The three to five seconds I do fight them off before dying, that is.

Stuffing the remaining bones into the bag, I looked around for anything else that would be necessary. However, while the cast-iron pans would've been useful earlier, the axe and bones were far more effective for combat. Spinning the wok around to examine how damaged the back was, I whistled in appreciation. Despite being struck at with a magically created sword and breaking bones, the pan was surprisingly still intact, with nary a dent and only a single scratch in the middle. Damn, it's one hell of a shield. However, I couldn't keep holding onto the wok, especially since the handle would make it difficult to hold onto…

An idea began to develop in my mind, and I examined the handle for a bit before grabbing a nearby meat tenderizer that was undamaged. It was time to make some changes to the wok. Walking into the bathroom again, I set the wok on the ground, pinning it by the grip handle via kneeling on it. WIth the wok kept in place, I grabbed the other handle and, lifting the tenderizer up, began to strike the handle. Loud clangs reverberated through the bathroom as I kept pounding at the handle, possibly drawing even more skeletons, but slowly the handle began to bend.

After several minutes of tedious hammering, I finally let the hammer drop down. Panting lightly, I lifted the wok up, examining my handiwork. The bowl itself had no alterations to it. However, the long handle had been bent inwards, allowing for it to be easily gripped and block attacks. A sudden rattling outside drew me away from my musings. Sliding the wok-shield onto my arm, I grabbed the skeletal axe from the bag and hoisted it up. "Alright, skeletons," I muttered, stepping out of the bathroom, "I've got a _bone_ to pick with you." I snickered at the pun, but steeled myself as I entered the store floor to find… nothing.

Crouching down slightly, I lifted up my makeshift shield and began turning from side to side, looking around for any bony warriors. However, it seems that the skeletons I heard were farther away than what it sounded…

A soft whistling noise was the only warning I got, and I quickly dropped to the floor. This was probably the only thing that saved me, as several knives and arrows flew where my head and torso used to be. Jesus, that was too close! Getting up to my knees, I poked my head over the counter, only to gulp in fright at what I saw. Standing out on the street, a trio of undead archers stood at the ready, the bigger problem was the center figure. Cloaked in black from head to toe and standing over seven feet tall, the only unique feature was a white skull mask stood out vividly underneath the hood. While he had announced himself, this was undoubtedly-

"Assassin," I whispered in fear, ducking back behind the counter and gazed at them through a shelf. This was honestly the worst Servant I could end up against. Assassins specialized in taking enemy Masters out, and with this Assassin wielding the cursed arm, he didn't even need to directly touch me to kill me. All it'd take is him breaking out his Noble Phantasm, and he'd be enjoying liquified hearts!

As if hearing me, the skeletons and Assassin gazed at me through my peephole, and I audibly gulped before pulling away. My paranoia was rewarded with several hearty thunks in the counter, a knife flying through the hole to embed in the floor. "Come on now, _Master_ ," Assassin hissed, a mocking drawl evident at the last word while the latest blade dissolved into specks of light, "Surrender now, and I promise your death will be short."

"As much as I appreciate the offer," I responded, groping around for something to throw back at them, "I'm afraid that I'm going to-" Grabbing hold of a small cleaver, I grabbed it by the handle and bolted back up, " _Throw_ that offer away!" Lifting my arm up, I threw the cleaver at Assassin as hard as I could, the blade flying through the air…

...A mere 30 feet before it fell to the ground, clattering on the tiles. A few seconds passed as Assassin, the skeletons and myself stood there, the silence hanging in the air from the awkwardness before I gave a nervous grin. "Best two out of three?," I asked. However, the skeletons were hardly amused, and I was forced to duck back down as several arrows flew through the air. Grabbing the axe from the bag, I glanced over at a line of fridges several feet away. If I can get over there, then I'll have enough protection to-

The sudden presence of a looming shadow cut my thoughts off, and I looked up before screaming in fright. Despite not hearing any movement, Assassin had somehow snuck right up to me, his unwrapped arm raised and pulsing with vivid red lines. "As amusing as your attempts are," He said, effortlessly knocking my wok-shield away before manifesting a large knife in his hand, "I don't play with my 'prey'."

"Now, now, Assassin," An unknown voice cut in, making the black killer freeze, "I wouldn't go far as to kill him. After all…" While I couldn't see the speaker, Assassin flickered away before a trio of searing spheres flew past, crashing into some equipment out of sight. Scooting over to the wok-shield, I grabbed it by the short handle and rose up, laying eyes on my savior standing in the doorway.

"I can't let you kill him off, especially with the performance he's given," Cu Chulainn said with a smirk, spinning his staff around before slamming it on the ground.

* * *

 **Author's Notes: *Pokes head out from under desk* That concludes the prologue, and brings us into Singularity F. Alex's finally activated his Magic Circuits, fought the native skeletons, encountered Assassin, and Cu Chulainn's finally made an appearance.**

 **I hope that you've enjoyed the latest chapters, and join us-**

 **?: HOLD IT!**

 **Wait, who was that?**

* * *

This is the Hidden Singularity: Roaring Tiger's Dojo. Would you like to continue?

Note: The Tiger Dojo is a strange hint corner. If you enter by yourself, or remain in suspense, you have been warned.

 **1\. Yes.**

2\. No.

* * *

"Yosh!," Taiga greeted in delight, clapping her hands together, "Residing outside the boundaries of time and space, I'm proud to host our first showing of Hidden Singularity: Roaring Tiger's Dojo! And the one hosting the show will be none other than me, Taiga Fujimaru!"

"I'm the assistant, Student No. 1!," Illya exclaimed cheerfully, clad in her gym uniform.

"And I'm more than a little ticked off with you two," A floating skull said, a sizable sweatdrop forming despite the dark fiery aura surrounding it, "How did you even get here? For that matter, how are you still around? The timelines should've completely collapsed when the Singularities started."

"Fool!," Taiga shouted, pointing her shinai at the skull, "The Tiger Dojo exists completely outside all main timelines in the Type-Moon universe! This allows for us to provide commentary to any and all timelines!"

"That would explain why you guys constantly appeared in each bad end of the Fate/Stay Night visual novel," The skull said, glancing at Taiga's white kimono before added, "This would also explain why you rarely change outfits." Taiga's face seemed to radiate red, several tick marks popping on her head before she began striking at the floating head, shouts of rage marking each thrust.

"S-Sensei, please calm down!," Illya cut in, keeping Taiga from swinging at him, "Besides, we still need to announce the next chapter's title!"

"I don't think she'll be able to do so at the moment, given that she's emulating a _raging tiger,_ " The skull commented, earning a roar of rage from Taiga, "I think you should handle it solo."

"Right!," Illya chimed, waving as her sensei began chasing the skull around the dojo, "Next Chapter: Child of Light VS Servant of Darkness!"

"Check it OUT!," Taiga screamed, lunging at the skull only for him to duck below the blow.


	5. Singularity F - Chapter 2

Singularity F: Chapter 2 - Child of Light VS Servant of Darkness

* * *

 **A.N.: So, it's been a while since the last chapter, huh? I apologize for the lack of updates, but the last few months have been a big downer on me. Between moving, college, and working during the holiday season, there has been sadly little time for working on the fic. Thankfully, next semester's going to be less busy, so I'll be able to post more often. However, there's one thing I managed to get: A beta! Seriously, I've got to give props to 'The4Ryan9' for betaing this and helping to develop the story. Still, here's the latest chapter, and hopefully I'll have another one up by the end of the month, if not before next semester starts.**

* * *

My breath hitched at the sight of Cu-Caster standing in the doorway, a rush of relief running down my back. Admittedly, I preferred using the Lancer version of Chulainn thanks to having more ways to survive, but right now I couldn't be too picky with the other Servants trying to kill me. Besides, Casters are supposed to trump Assassins, right?

...Speaking of which, where did Assassin get to?

My question was soon answered with a rain of blades flying at me, and I lunged backwards, barely avoiding being skewered.

"You should know better than to manifest in my sight, Assassin!," Caster shouted, firing another volley at the blackened Servant, only for him to vanish into blue particles, a chill rushing from his disappearance.

"Damn it, he got away again!," I cursed, looking around wildly for when the murderous Servant might make his next appearance.

"True, but it's not like he'll be gone for long," Caster said, leaping over the fallen tables to land next to me. Standing across from one another, I couldn't help but notice that we were roughly the same height. Admittedly, he had a few inches on me, but I'd definitely say we were roughly just as tall.

Cu Chulainn gave me a cursory glance, looking me over before giving me a grin. "So kid, you're a Master, right?," He asked, nodding as he looked around for Assassin.

"Sadly, just a potential one for the moment," I told him, pulling out a Cursed Bone from my sack and grabbing it in both hands like a makeshift club, "I was supposed to have summoned a Servant before arriving, but sadly, that got derailed."

"I see," He replied, slapping a hand on my shoulder before grinning, "In that case, while it may be temporary, treat me as your own Servant, got it?"

"Understood," I told him, looking around both to spot Assassin's next assault and hide my growing delight. With Cu Chulainn helping me out, there was little chance I would be dying here!

As if to counter my thoughts, a swarm of knives flew towards us, and I jumped back down to avoid the volley. The whistling of the wind was the only sign of Caster's interference as he sent the knives twirling away with his staff. "Stay here, 'Master'. I'll take of this!," He said, a grin growing on his face, before sending another flurry of fireballs at the murderous Servant. However, Assassin faded into spiritual particles, avoiding the attack again, and several skeletons flooded through the broken openings.

Caster clicked his tongue in annoyance and turned his head to look at me again. "Try to stay out of trouble, okay?," He told me, before jumping over the counter, striking the nearest skeletal warrior's skull clean off its body when he landed.

"Got it," I shouted back, and ducked back under the counter. As Caster went to town on the skeletons, I began to glance around the store, trying to spot Assassin's next assault. With his Presence Concealment and never-ending supply of knives, he could easily strike from behind me, through the window, or even-

A rush of heat erupted overhead, like opening a hot stove, and I glanced up to see Assassin crouched on the ceiling, arm pulled back in preparation. "Shit!," I cursed, and jumped back when Assassin lunged downward. The countertop was shattered from the blackened Servant's blow, and I flinched at the shower of splinters. I glanced back to find my wok-shield being only a short distance behind me, I looked back at the rising assailant before lunging towards my main defense. Grabbing the wok by the edge, I felt a blast of energy, and glanced back to find Assassin mere inches from my face, his hand almost touching my shoulder...

Only for a silvery mark, like a line with a 'v' attached to it, to erupt into existence on the surface on my uniform. Assassin's lunge was stopped short, as if hitting a wall, and a second flash sparked from the mark before emitting a burst of light, Assassin being sent flying back in the process. Adjusting my grip on my shield, I lifted my shield up again in preparation for fighting while Assassin landed on both feet.

"Runecraft, hm?," The Assassin mused, holding his hand out like clutching a wine glass, "A noteworthy defense, but one that this one finds ultimately… _useless_." A wave of heat arose from the Servant, and motes of energy collected his hand to form a beating facsimile of a heart.

No, not a facsimile. A copy of _my_ heart.

My breath hitched in fear as Assassin began to squeeze down on it, phantom fingers seeming to grip my chest. If Caster didn't act soon, I'd end up dead before the Prologue even ended!

"It may seem so, Assassin," Caster commented, and both of us gave pause at the interruption to look at the bluenette, who was rapidly spinning his staff, "However, one benefit Runecraft has-," Slamming his staff on the ground, he gave a victorious grin when a fiery red rune lighting up under Assassin's feet, "-Is that they don't require a chant to activate!"

At the end of Caster's words, a pillar of fire erupted from underneath Assassin and enveloped the surprised Servant in flames. The skeletal fighter let out a ghastly scream that seemed to echo as the flames coated him, licking and scraping his body. When the bonfire finally died down, Assassin stood there, as if frozen by the flames. Several seconds passed, and I began to worry that he had somehow managed to survive. However, Assassin soon fell to his knees, his body breaking apart.

"Well played, Caster," The masked killer said, tilting his head to the spellcasting servant to give a nod of respect, "However, this one thinks that you'll find it much harder to defeat the rest…" With that, he gave one last rasping chuckle before his head dropped, the last action he gave before dissolving into a mist of light.

I fell back once the last of his remains vanished, my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

"Well done, Master!," Caster praised, slapping his hand back down on my shoulder and making me jump in surprise, "So, what did you think of your first Servant battle?"

"It was absolutely terrifying!," I shakily shouted at him, shuddering at the memory of Assassin clutching my heart.

"I see…," Glancing over at me, Caster paused for a few seconds before suddenly raising his hand to slap me over the head.

"Ow!," I exclaimed, rubbing where he hit me, "What the hell was that for?"

"Do you have no pride in battle, 'Master'?," Caster asked, levelling a look at me that silenced any protests. "I saw how you fought against those skeletons. Do you only to bare your fangs when threatened like a cornered boar?"

My teeth ground together at his comments. "I know I'm not the best at combat!," I snapped at him, "I'm not a master Magus, with years of training or Magic Crests. I've only got three months worth of Magus education. Hell, I only half-assed my casting Reinforcement earlier today, and even that was a fluke!" Slamming my hand against the table, I let out a groan before sliding against the wall. I know that no-one started out a prodigy, but being unprepared for a Servant battle is an easy way to get killed.

"I see…," Cu Chulainn said, leaning against his staff as he looked down at me, "So it's not that you only fight when threatened, but only fight when you think you've got a fair chance? That's something I can understand. However, you're unlikely to find a fair fight here, especially with the lack of enemy Masters here."

"I know," I replied, getting back up before clenching my jaw in thought. There was no point with arguing in him on that front - Hell, I had already faced near-death from Archer and Assassin. Glancing at Caster, a sudden burst of genius struck me, and I slowly grinned at him. "However, I can think of one way to help balance things out."

"What do you mean by that?," He asked, before frowning slightly as I raised my arm, "Are you sure you want to do that, kiddo? You did say you're not the best with magecraft. Besides, with Archer still out there, he could easily take both of us out at the same time if we're contracted."

"I know that," I said, lowering my arm slightly, "But it's better to have a contract with a Servant if I haven't summoned one, and after the fight, you're likely starting to run out of prana."

Caster hummed at this, before turning towards the exit. "If that's the case, 'Master', we better do it someplace that's a lot safer." As the rune-wielding Servant began to walk to the exit, I knew that the chances of getting arrow-nuked by Archer as we moved was near-certain. I couldn't take the chance!

As I began to focus on Caster, I distantly recalled the drop of water I imagined in the coffin. When the drop broke the surface again, a rush of energy flooded my body again. "Heed my words!," I shouted, making Caster come to a stop as I pointed at him. "My will creates your body, and-" Would 'sword' really work with a Caster-class? Stumbling momentarily in confusion, I rapidly thought of what would work best before continuing, "-Your stave guides my destiny. If you heed the Grail's call and obey my will and reason, then answer me! Do so, and I will entrust my destiny to your wisdom!"

"Heh, you're really that desperate, huh kid?" Caster asked, but shrugged before gripping my hand firmly with a grin, "On my honor as a Caster, I accept your oath. I, Cu Chulainn, accept you as my Master." As we shook hands, a rush of heat coursed through me, and I buckled over when I felt the connection take hold. Despite the rush from the energy soon decreasing to a mere trickle, I felt a lingering pulse of heat connecting me to Caster, providing him with what I could only assume was prana to continue existing.

Looking down at my hand, I grinned at the red markings that now marked the back of my hand. While it wasn't the straight spear his Lancer seal was, it looked more like the FGO command spell: A trident of red containing an array of two squares overlapping one-another, the seal was completed with a slanted 'F' in the center of the array.

"So, 'Master', what's your plan from here?," Caster asked, looking at me expectantly with a grin I couldn't help but return. With a Servant now actually bonded with me, my chances of survival were a lot better, especially since Cu Chulainn's Protection From Arrows makes it a lot harder for EMIYA to kill me. Now all that's left is to actually get some decent weapons to be able to fight. Speaking of which-

"For starters, I need you to give my 'shield' and this bone a massive Caster upgrade," I told him before shoving the modified wok and an Evil Bone into his arms, making him start slightly.

"...Kid, I think you've got the wrong idea about me," He asked, giving me a skeptical look, "Despite being summoned as a Caster, I don't really have the Item Creation skill, and my Territory Creation skill is better suited for… more combative purposes."

"I know, but you can at least it the same boost you gave my uniform back there, right?," I asked while grabbing some extra shopping bags and slung them over my shoulder, "After all, having a knockback effect can be quite effective."

"That's not-," Caster commented, before looking down at the wok in contemplation. "Using Thurisaz as the base component… reinforcing it with Isa, while keeping the defensive properties enhanced with Eihwaz & Algiz…" He fell silent for several seconds, before smirking over at me, "This is turning into quite the interesting project you've given."

"It won't take too long, will it?" I asked, glancing over at a paper cutter before reaching down and unscrewing the latches before finally hefting it up. Despite the its size, the solid metal blade would likely be quite effective at cutting or breaking bone.

"While it'll be a bit before it's finished, it should likely be an hour at most before it's done," He said, his eyes still looking contemplatively down at the shield, before looking over at me in shock as I walked toward the staircase, "Wait, where are you going?"

"The same place any survivor goes in a city, of course," I told him, glancing him out of the corner of my eye, "Out looting, of course! Give me a shout when you're finished!"

"Oi, you're taking this too easily!" He shouted back at me, but I have him a simple wave before stepping into the stairwell. While he did have a slight point, especially with the Servants still around, I should be able to at least sense them first, given that Assassin's kicked the bucket. Coming up to the next floor, I perked up at the sight of several name-brand sporting goods lining the aisles. It should be easy to find some makeshift armor here!

* * *

I hummed in confusion as I looked back and forth between two helmets. While the motorcycle helmet was quite effective in protecting its wearer, the limited visibility and darkened visor would make seeing incoming attacks rather difficult. In contrast, a baseball helmet made concussions harder to obtain, at the cost of leaving my face open to any arrows or spear thrusts… This was becoming quite the difficult decision…

 _'You going to take any longer, kid?'_

I screamed at the sudden comment in my head, and I looked around in shock to find where Cu Chulainn was. "Jeez, man, you startled me!" I shouted, looking around for where the druid was.

 _'...Kid, you remember that Servants and Masters can communicate telepathically, right?'_ He asked, my ears turning red in embarrassment at the reminder.

"Right, sorry," I said, and began focusing on the connection before sending a thought towards the connection. _'Does this work?,'_ I mentally questioned.

 _'Much better,'_ Cu Chulainn commented, _'Now get down here, kid! I finished your 'project' five minutes ago, and I'm not sure how long we have before another Servant comes after us.'_

 _'Right, right, gotcha,'_ I sent before focusing back on reality. Looking between the two, I chucked them both on the shelf before grabbing a hockey helmet that had fit me alright earlier. It wasn't a perfect fit, but the face-guard would do quite nicely. Grabbing the bag full of 'armor', I rapidly moved down the staircase, jumping the last few steps before coming to a slow stop on the main floor. "So, how did the project go?," I asked, pulled out the first pieces of my armor and sliding them on.

"Well, it took a bit of work, but I managed to get a decent array finished,' Cu Chulainn stated, setting the shield face-down on the counter, "I focused the array on the Thurisaz rune to provide structural defense, with Uruz, Iga and Algiz to…" He paused for a second, confusion flickering on his face before he asked, "What the hell are you wearing?"

"Just some makeshift armor," I told him, strapping the neon-green child shin guards down over my arms before grabbing a set of flourescent orange shin guards for my calves, "It's not the best, but it should work well against the sword swings." Slipping the shin guards on, I pulled the bright red helmet over my head, wincing slightly when the strap dug into my chin, before striking a heroic pose. "So, how do I look?" I asked.

"Like a colorblind idiot," He said, earning a chuckle from both of us. I wasn't going to deny that, especially since the array of colors was rather silly, but it was at least effective. Glancing at the wok-shield, I lifted it up, shivering slightly at the heat radiating off of it despite it being cool to the touch, before flipping it over.

Looking at the front, I couldn't help but admire the design of the array. Two squares overlaid the metal to form an eight-pointed star, the center sporting a line with a triangle on the side, and an additional square at each point holding another symbol. Grabbing it by the handle, I nodded in self-satisfaction before looking over at Caster. "What about the cursed bone?" I asked.

Caster paused for a second, before reaching under the table. "To be honest, I'm not sure what went wrong with it," He said as he began to pull it out, "All I was able to add was a few basic enhancement runes to it, when it… mutated, for lack of a better term." When he finally held it up, I couldn't help but shudder at the malevolent aura. The few yellow runes on the side were a drastic contrast to the darkened color of the bone, the cursed femur now a dark mahogany, bordering a red-tinged black. In addition, the side opposite the femoral head had splintered open, the bone erupting out to form a jagged axe-edge.

"I can see that…" I said, shuddering slightly at the off-putting heat before tentatively reaching out to the axe. "It's still usable though, right?"

"I guess it is…" Caster hummed, looking away in what I assumed was contemplation before flipping it over, holding it out by the handle, "At the very least, you'll have some way to protect yourself now."

Eagerly grabbing the axe, I did my best to balance it out before sliding it into a loose arm strap as a makeshift holster. Glancing back up at Cu Chulainn, I froze in worry. Any sign of levity was now gone on his face, the druid's eyes locked on something beyond the far wall.

"What is it, Caster?" I asked, awkwardly pulling the axe back out in preparation. If Assassin managed to survive, or worse, Berserker had somehow found us…

"You can't sense it, Master?" He asked, pointing his staff in the same direction as before, "There's a pair of Servants fighting over that way." Closing my eyes, I frowned in concentration, attempting to sense what he meant. After several seconds, I winced at the underlying roar of battle that beat like a drum in the distance. I'm not sure whether it was due to the Singularity or my lack of magical experience, but I wouldn't have noticed it if Caster hadn't pointed it out.

"It's likely one of the other Masters I'm working with," I told him, and only took a moment to grab the bag of cursed bones before running around the counter towards the exit, "We better get over there!"

"Alright, Master," Caster said, jumping over the counter and briskly walking beside me, "However, you'll need to tell me why you're allied with another Master, or why you're the first person I've seen since arriving."

 **==Third POV - ?==**

Cloaked in darkness inside the apartment building, the man scowled as he glanced out of the window. Ever since that Saber had defeated and revived him, he had found himself being forced to hide in the shadows like an assassin, something he absolutely despised. He had dealt with enough assassins when he was alive to not want to follow their steps. However, so long as she still lived, he was forced to continue skulking in the shadows to keep his men from vanishing. Thankfully, while he personally couldn't be hunting the errant Caster or the enemy Masters, his soldiers were able to patrol the city in search of them. This had even gained some success, as his men had managed to find a Master and Servant, with more of his men currently in pursuit of a Magus who could be a second Master.

A flash of golden light draws his focus back outside, and the blackened Servant momentarily squinted his eyes at the explosions that followed the enemy Servant's attack. Feeling his soldiers that had been fighting vanish into prana particles, the man grasped the air before a golden axe filled his hands, the blade aglow with green flames from the lantern it jutted from. With a single swing of the blade, the flames travelled over the floor, leaving wisps in the air, before they erupted in size, leaving him surrounded a company of skeletal warriors.

"Surround the Servant on all sides. Spearmen, use your spears to strike at them through any gaps available," He ordered, and the skeleton warriors rushed out with a clatter of bones, several of them leaping out of the broken windows straight to the ground, rushing towards the enemy, while others dashed around the sides in preparation for a pincer maneuver.

As the sounds of battle resumed, he turned away from the battlefield to head towards a different building and avoid the Archer's eventual bombardment. Before leaving the floor, though, he paused before looking towards the north, a grin forming on his face at the energy drawing closer. It seems that he wouldn't have to wait for the Caster Servant to be found after all. Summoning his axe once more, he summoned a score of skeletal warriors who immediately rushed towards him.

"You best hurry up, Caster," He muttered, his body slowly astralizing, "I'd hate for my army to be disappointed."

 **==1st POV - Alex==**

"So, you're part of a team of Magi who, due to the future of humanity being threatened, has been sent back in time to fix whatever has caused the threat?" Caster asked, leaping over a decimated car as we ran towards the ensuing fight.

"Pretty much, yeah," I said, panting lightly in my attempts to keep up with him, "To be honest, I'm surprised that they managed to build a construct that can use True Magic." For that matter, I'm honestly surprised I'm managing to keep up with Caster at all. Granted, he isn't as fast as if he was summoned as a Lancer, but Servants were noted for being more powerful than regular humans. Guess my counterpart's body was better built than my own. Well, that, or Caster was slowing down for me, I mentally amended, ducking underneath a bent lamppost while Cu Chulainn easily vaulted over a toppled van.

As we rounded the corner, the heat of the Servants' signatures starting to build in strength, I paused slightly before closing my eyes to focus, the drop of water triggering my circuits again. Several hundred feet ahead of me, I could sense the signatures of two Servants locked in combat, several additional 'flames' around the area. The lower servant, while I couldn't see them from here, could be best described as a wild torchlight, burning brightly and lashing out at any stray sparks that drew too close. In contrast, a second flame was higher up, likely on a higher floor, yet it was also… sooty or distended. As I tried to focus on the 'muted' flame, a sudden thunk of metal on wood made my eyes snap open, disrupting my focus.

"Master, I think you better get ready to fight!" Caster demanded, pressing back against a downward-swinging spear wielded by a skeletal warrior. As the Celt shoved the spearman away, though, more skeletal warriors began to jump down from the buildings on the streets. Unlike the previous skeletons I faced, though, these were clearly something… more. The skeletons were clad in purple cloth, wielding axes and spears of solid bone. The most shocking detail, though, were their eyes - Rather than empty eye sockets, green flames lit their eyes in a malevolent glow.

Realizing that this was too many for Caster to reliably fight, I pulled out my own bone-axe after a few moments of effort. "Got it!" I replied, hoisting my shield up for defense. As the skeletons began to draw closer, spears being raised, I looked over at Caster. _'Caster, if I buy you a little time to drop back, could you get them with a ranged attack?'_ I telepathically asked him. The rune-using Servant glanced back at me, gave a nod, before jumping back behind me.

A plan now set, I focused on the undead warriors before slamming the axe against the side of my shield. "Come on, you shoddy sacks of bones!" I shouted, trying my best to aggravate them, "I've seen squished bugs that fight better than you! Your mother was a compost bag, and your father smelt of formaldehyde!"

The last bit seemed to push them over the edge, as several skeletons let out screams of anger before rushing at me. As the skeletons focused their spearheads, I crouched down, making myself as small as possible while holding my shield up to block their blows. While some spears snuck past, leading to their blades scraping against my arm guards and helmet, several of the blows thankfully struck the shield's surface. As an axe struck against the shield amidst the spear thrusts, I felt the shield 'warm' up with magic,and began to feed it magic in hopes of boosting the effect.

The only sign I fucked up came when a blast of kinetic force erupted from the array, sending the skeletons flying back while I tumbled head-over-ass backwards several feet. Slamming the sizzling shield down on the ground, I managed to come to a stop after several seconds of flipping about. Glancing back up at the skeleton, I saw that the ones who were launched back had mostly landed on their feet.

They seemed to be a lot more cautious now, leaning back and forth as they stared at me with those unblinking eyes. Before any could advance, though, they seemed to all look up as one before a volley of fireballs flew at them from overhead. The bombardment struck them hard, and I saw several of them shatter from the impact. The damage only heightened as the attack exploded in a blast of fire, consuming the remaining skeletons and soon turning them to ash.

As the fires rapidly died down, a thump drew my gaze to my right to find Caster standing tall, smirking down at me. "Well done, Master," He chuckled, patting me on the head, "That was quite the blast you made! I'm surprised your shield is still intact!"

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," I muttered, hoisting myself back up before looking over where the Servants were still fighting, given the golden light visible behind an overturned truck. While I didn't know who the Servant was, I couldn't afford to let another Servant fall to Saber's forces. Hastily devising some form of plan that could possibly work, I lowered my shield before turning to my Servant. "Caster, they need our help," I barked, before pointing to a light post that was somehow still standing, "Run ahead to help them and, once you get up there, immediately blast any skeletons you see! Just make sure not to hit the unknown Servant with the blast radius."

"Got it, Master!" He complied, rushing forwards before hurtling up with a burst of energy. Realizing that it wouldn't be long before the area was likely cleared of any skeletons, I began to run after him, arms swiveling from side to side as I hurried over. Even as I drew near, Caster was blasting away with his Runecraft, sending fireball after fireball into the area. Coming around from the opposite side, I skidded to a stop before turning towards where the Servant likely was. "Are you alright?" I blindly asked, looking at where the Servant was, only to be greeted by a surprised blonde kid and the female protagonist, who was looking shocked at me for some reason.

She was hardly the only one who was shocked, though, once I got a second look at the blonde 'kid'. What was Gilgamesh even doing here, let alone as Kid Gil? I thought that the only Servant 'summoned' was Mash, with Caster only surviving until then. If that was the case, what did that say about the Singularity? Focusing back on the moment, I mentally flinched at the awkward air developing. Come on, there's something I can say...

"Weren't you the Master whose brother fell asleep during orientation and got booted out of the Rayshift?" I blindly asked, before wincing at the bluntness of it. Thankfully, this seemed to shake her out of her shock, as she stuttered for several seconds before jumping back up.

"So what if I was?!" She asked, her face turning red, "At least I'm not looking like a half-finished neon painting!" She then blinked, as if realizing something, before stating, "Wait, you were sitting a few seats down from us!"

"That's correct," I dryly told her, glancing around the area in search of the other Servant, "You're quite observational, aren't you?" As she began protesting, I closed my eyes and began sensing for any possible sign of a signature. After several seconds, I began to sense a potent prana source lingering a few levels above us to the right, the prana seeming to roar with a constant blaze. "Caster, fire a volley over there!" I quickly shouted, pointing at the prana source with wide eyes.

"You got it!" Caster shouted, waving his hand at the source before sending a row of fireballs out. As the attack struck the building, the block was lit up from the resulting blast, the explosion erupting across the floor and blowing out the windows. However, as the building began to crumble down, a large figure leaped out past the explosion, landing on the ground with a resonating boom and an obscuring dust cloud.

"Damn, looks like he managed to escape the blast," I muttered, before looking for any sign of the Servant. After several seconds, the dust finally started to settle, the Servant slowly being shown. He was standing tall, easily outstripping Cu Chulainn and myself in height. However, with his dark skin, overwhelming height and solid-yellow eyes, there was little doubt as to who this Servant was.

"Oh, so you finally come out of hiding, Rider?" Caster asked, jumping down from the lamppost to smirk at the Blackened Servant.

"The same could be said for you, Caster," Darius said, grinning in response, "After all, haven't you been the one who's been skulking in the shadows to avoid her blade?"

"I wouldn't say that," Cu Chulainn replied, leaning against his staff, "After all, I may enjoy a good fight, but I can tell when it's pointless to fight head-on." Despite his carefree expression, I could feel the pull of prana intensify, and I steeled myself for the budding battle.

"It may be the case," Darius said, summoning a golden axe wreathed in green flames, "But let's see how you handle the strength of my army!" With a swing of his arm, he sent a blazing wave at us, making us stumble back. However, rather than sweeping over us, the rolling tide of fire gathered in strength before breaking into embers right before our faces. It didn't seem like he needed the flames, though, as there were now dozens - no, hundreds - of skeletal warriors.

However, their bodies were altered even further than before, with some of their heads warped in the shape of bony crowns while sharp scythes replaced their arms. Alternatively, some of the soldiers loomed over the rest, sporting two pairs of arms that each held a weapon forged from their skeletal bodies.

"These are my soldiers, their bodies transformed and infused with strength that surpassed their mortal bodies!," Darius declared, raising his arms in proclamation. "Now, if you wish to show your desire to survive, then show me your might!"

As Darius's words reverberated around the park, I began to glance around, intent on figuring out some way to survive. With Gilgamesh and the female protagonist pinned between the bus and the skeletal army while Cu Chulainn being more apt for ranged combat as a Caster, we couldn't keep up a constant fight in close quarters. In addition, the sheer number of skeletal warriors easily outnumbered us 100-to-1. Even if Gilgamesh had access to Gate of Babylon in his childish form, I doubted he'd be able to launch weapons fast enough to take them out in time.

'Oi, Master. I have a Noble Phantasm that can possibly take care of his army, but doing so means I won't be able to access it again for a while.' I blinked in confusion momentarily at the voice in my head, before glancing over at the Celtic Caster.

'Do you think you'll be able to get them all?," I mentally asked him, looking around at the swarm of skeletons looming around us.

'They won't even be a threat once it's finished!' He states, a smirk growing on his face before he looked grimly out at the horde, 'However, I'll need time to fully cast it.'

'Understood,' I sent back, and reached down to pull the axe out, 'Just make sure to get it cast soon. I don't know how long I'll be able to keep them back-' I paused from my reply when I grabbed nothing but air, glancing down before sighing in frustration. "Shit, must've lost it somewhere in the fight," I muttered, before looking at Gilgamesh, who seemed less worried and more amused at the scenario. "Your majesty, would you be generous enough to loan a blade from your treasury for this battle?" I asked him, holding a hand out to him in hope.

The blonde Archer tilted his head at this, staring at me for several seconds before giving a rather childish grin. "Of course, onii-san!," He says as a golden circle of light appears in the air between us, the blue hilt of a sword poking out from the portal, "Just make sure to give it back at the end, okay?"

"Deal," I said, nodding in agreement before pulling the blade out. As the sword came out, I couldn't help but shiver at the chilling aura it produced. Quite literally, in fact - Veins of frost were already forming on the blade even when the sword just left storage, the aura of cold seeming to give the blade a blue tint. Turning around, I shuddered at how… _innocent_ Gilgamesh seemed, given his more sadistic tendencies, before holding the sword up, my shield running perpendicular to it.

"It seems that your master is quite willing to fight," Darius commented, his voice reverberating throughout the room, "Now, let's see how long he and the rogue Archer will be able to last." As he raised an arm up, my body tensed at the rush of impeding tension, an action that was mimicked repeatedly by his forces. With a single sweep and a wave of flames, Darius let out a roar. As if his cry was a signal, the skeletal warriors surged forward with a cacophony of bones clanking against metal.

As the first skeletal warriors drew close, I crouched down before lunging forward, lashing out with my blade with a desperate fervor. Up, down, side to side - I slashed wildly in my attempts to keep them back, the tip occasionally poking at any skeletons that were within reach. However, they seemed to constantly be out of range of my sword, the tip barely leaving chilled marks on their clothed armor.

"Fehu, Uruz, Perthro, Thurisaz-" I heard Caster begin to chant over the noise, the pull on our connection slowly building with each word. A sudden scream made me twist to my right, eyes growing wide at the speartip rushing towards my eyes.

Before the tip could pierce the visor, though, a golden blur struck the spear-wielding skeleton from the side, sending it flying away and crashing into its comrades.

"Oi, oi. That isn't fair at all, is it?" I heard Gilgamesh comment, the blonde King stepping into view with a golden aura surrounding him, the tips of several blades already poised and peeking out to strike. With an almost unanimous shriek, the skeletons renewed their charge, and I forced myself to turn away.

"-Mannaz, Gebo, Jera, Wunjo-"

Spotting a trio of skeletal swordsmen rushing towards me while Gilgamesh dealt with any that got too close to him, I crouched low, letting their blades bounce against my shield before thrusting forward. Feeling the pressure of their blades cease, I lashed out with the chilled blade. As the blade sunk into the ribcage of a warrior, the blue tint of the blade rushed out with a pulse, freezing the soldier solid. Ripping the blade to the side, the warrior broke into a shower of icy, bony shards, leaving me free to strike again.

"-Kenaz, Eihwaz, Isa, Hagalaz-"

Muscles slowly starting to burn from the weight of my weapons, I forced myself to ignore the pain and continue fighting. Noticing one of the skeletons with extra arms bent over on one knee, I lunged forward, aiming the tip of my sword at its head.

...Wait, why would it be crouched down if it was-?

With a sudden shriek, the skeleton lashed upward, it's axe striking forward. Letting out a scream in fright, I stumbled to a halt before rapidly backtreading, trying to stay out of reach. However, the blade's reach seemed to extend as I retreated, before ripping into my helmet and barely press against my skin. Feeling the clasp tighten as the polearm lifted up, I shakily reached up and clicked the latch open before dropping into a crouch.

"-Sowilo, Tiwaz, Algiz, Raidho, Berkanan, Ansuz!"

Seeing the warrior still standing in front of me, I lashed out of the blade, striking it in the waist. Waves of cold ran across its body, and I struck at it over and over until the warrior was broken into several different pieces. After the seventh or so blow, though, I was forced back to the fight with a trio of spearheads slamming into the body armor on my back mixed with a series of explosions. Stumbling around, I growled at the warriors surrounding me before lashing out again, knocking over an unlucky two before looking around at the skeletal troops closing in around me. "Damnit Caster, you better hurry up with whatever Phantasm you've got," I mutter before readying for the next burst of battle.

"Behold, the script of the Allfather, written for the world to see!" Caster suddenly declared, and the entire battlefield seemed to freeze at his words. Looking up in the momentary lapse, I saw him now proudly standing atop the bus, his staff raised high and a blast of invisible heat roaring from him while the light of magecraft illuminating him from below. **"Ochd (Great-)"**

" **NO!"** Darius suddenly shouted, the sheer volume of his voice striking out like a cannon shout. Daring to look back at him, I couldn't help but freeze at the site of Darius charging through his skeletal army, sending his own soldiers flying as he rushed towards us while the remaining warriors rushed forwards with him, forming a tidal wave of bone.

" **Deug Odin (-God Carved Seal)!"**

Jumping back from the approaching mob, I froze as a harmonious toll began to reverberate at his words. Darius was stopped dead in his charge as a pillar of light slammed into him, enveloping him in its blast. The skeletal army seemed to panic at this, chattering like a panicked mob, before many smaller beams began to strike down at them with the range of a meteor storm. Looking up, I saw a large circle of light now hanging over the park, the array marked with a large inscription in the center and eighteen runes on the line. To be honest, the only ones I really recognized was the F-shaped 'Ansuz' and… Yeah, that was really it.

Turning my attention back to the ground, I couldn't help but let out a whistle of appreciation. The circle was clearly doing its best to wipe the skeletal army off the map, the beams of prana leaving craters all over the park. Even the few skeletons that managed to avoid getting hit at first seemed to be affected by the blasts, as a nearby pair collapsed into pieces, their bodies becoming prana-infused ash that floated through the air aimlessly.

"So, was that good enough for you, Master?" Cu Chulainn asked, his staff clacking against the asphalt as he came to a stop besides me.

"I'd certainly say so, especially given how there doesn't seem to be any left," I said, glancing around at the fading remains of Rider's armada. However, as the dust began to settle, I froze at the hulking figure crouched down in the dust cloud before shakily lifting my shield back up.

Darius growled as he stood back up, his body steaming from the blast and particles of prana already starting to waft from his body. "Well played, Masters," He commented, his blades vanishing into particles while he rose to his full height, "However, with my troops now scattered, I cannot afford to continue holding back." Clasping the air in front of him, I felt a shiver of sudden dread run down my spine when the empty grip was filled with a massive horn made of ivory. 'Glamorous' could easily be used to describe it, with rings of gold banding the lip and the middle of the horn, with emeralds embedded in the gold bands and numerous etchings along the bare ivory.

" **Olifant Nemrut [Mountainous Beast of Ivory] !** ," Darius shouted, before lifting the horn to his mouth. With one mighty breath, the air seemed to vibrate from the horn's blaring bellow.

...Wait, that isn't right - It wasn't the _air_ that was shaking! Stumbling back slightly, I leaned against the side of a overturned car to keep from shaking. As the ground continued to tremble, I felt someone yank me back.

"Come on, Master - Can't let you be a sitting target," I heard Caster say over the wind. However, as I was pulled further away from Rider, I saw the ground began to bulge up. Bursts of hot air erupted from growing cracks in the asphalt, lampposts being toppled over by the shifting stone. The source of whatever was causing the eruption, though, was hidden from view with a cloud of dust that flooded the street. I was soon choking as Caster jumped up, knocking the air out of me when he dropped me behind a rooftop.

Taking in a shaky breath, I turned to Cu Chulainn with a scowl. "Why the hell did you pull me out of there?" I snapped, climbing back up to my feet, "We could have taken him no problem, especially with his army defeated!"

"You really didn't sense it, Master?" Caster asked, frowning slightly before shaking his head, "Given how you've been handling things so far, I thought you would've recognized it." I frowned at the comment, before thinking about the recent events. What the hell was he-?

A massive explosion tore through the air and my thoughts, the impact forcing me to stumble down the rooftop. As I tried stabilizing myself, a trumpeting bellow rang through the skyline.

"He summoned his last Noble Phantasm," Caster commented, looking grimmer in the direction of where the roar had come from. Gaping at the man, I ran up the tiles before poking my head over the edge.

The road had been torn into a path of rubble from the summoning of the beast, the roads completely ruined by the upheaval. Said animal, on the other hand, stood tall in the center of the destruction, its body easily reaching seven stories in height and sporting two pairs of massive tusks. The more I looked at it, though, the more I realized it wasn't a 'true' elephant. Instead, its body was draped in dark purple cloth, covering it in stylized eyes. In addition, any flesh or muscle it might've had was gone, leaving it a skeletal mammoth with jagged bones running down its 'trunk'. It still seemed to have plenty of strength in its bony body, though, as it easily carried Darius, the Rider sitting on a throne of bones atop the beast's back.

"I thought you took out his army with your Noble Phantasm," I muttered, ducking back down behind the rooftop as the blackened Servant and his steed seemed to turn in tandem to look in our direction.

"It seems that that beast of his is different enough that it wasn't locked away with his other Phantasm," Caster commented, resting both hands on his staff in contemplation. Glancing over the rooftop edge again, I narrowed my eyes as the beast began to look elsewhere before a realization struck me.

"Where'd the other Master and Servant go?" I asked, looking up and down the street for any sign of them. If they'd been caught in the explosion, or worse, trampled underfoot…

"I think they managed to get out just fine," Caster said with a chuckle, making me look at him in surprise. After several seconds, he clapped a hand on my shoulder before pointing with his staff. Turning my head, my eyes widened when I noticed the blonde Archer standing atop a skyscraper, his golden hair and the white uniform the female protagonist wore standing out brightly against the dark red sky.

They seemed to be spotted by Rider at the same time, though, as the massive beast he was on gave another trumpet before swinging its 'trunk' at the building's base. Thankfully, Gilgamesh and the red-haired Magus disappeared in a flicker before the blow landed, reappearing on a nearby building as the business complex came crumbling down.

...Note to self: Be sure to get her name when I get the next chance. It's a pain to keep calling her 'the protagonist'.

Snapping back into focus, I glanced back at the dark-skinned Rider before giving Caster a look. "How long do you think it'll take for you to take him out on there?" I asked him, keeping track on the errant Servant as his steed began to turn towards where Gilgamesh had moved to.

"I'd say a minute, maybe less depending on whether or not Blondie decides to join in," Cu said after several seconds of thought, hands resting on top of his staff.

"Just a minute? I didn't realize we were taking it nice and easy," I joked, picking the frozen sword up before walking up the rooftop. Coming to a stop at the top, I glanced at Caster to find him next to me, a grin growing on his face. Taking in a deep breath, I closed my eyes for a second before locking my gaze on Rider, the Servant's steed taking out a second building.

"Caster, take him out!" I shouted, fingers outstretched as I pointed at the blackened Servant, Rider turning on his throne to look at us.

"Understood, master!" The Hound of Ulster complied, before taking off in a burst of speed. Despite being summoned under the Caster class, Cu Chulainn moved like a blur across the ruined street, my eyes barely able to keep track of him as he approached Rider. Within seconds, he began to climb the skeletal mount, avoiding the beast's stomping hoof and was soon standing next to Darius. As the giant of a Rider still sat on his throne, Caster was able to easily run circles around him, landing on and around his throne several times before his staff was finally parried by the Persian's golden axe.

'Runes have been placed, Master,' I heard Caster comment through the link, before the blue-haired Servant jumped off of the mammoth's back to land on a nearby window sill.

'Gotcha. I'll give you the distraction, then,' I replied, and drew in a deep breath before letting out a loud shout. "HEY RIDER!," I screamed at the top of my lungs, earning a startled glance from said Servant. With most of his attention now on me, I gave him a one-finger salute before mouthing two words at him - 'Fuck. You.'

Despite being at least two hundred feet away, I could make out his eyes widening in realization when several marks lit up all around him. A sudden whistling tore through the air, and several golden swords skewered him through the chest, pinning him to the throne as the runes grew in power. His steed was unable to do anything while the runes ignited, the fiery explosion enveloping the beast's back and sending bony shards flying everywhere. Several seconds passed in tense silence as the blast faded away before the mammoth elephant fell over. The beast fell with a tremendous thud, rising dust obscuring the beast, before golden-green particles of prana began to rise into the air.

Seeing that the beast had been finally defeated, I chuckled in relief before a sudden thought made me grin. "Looks like Rider…," I began to say, pausing for a few seconds before proclaiming with a shit-eating grin, "Just got _boned_."

Several seconds passed before I heard Caster let out a groan through the Master/Servant link. 'Just great, my master's a punster,' He said, and I couldn't help but cackle at his reaction before walking down the rooftop. Things seem to be finally looking up!

...Crap, I just jinxed myself, didn't I? Wincing at the mishap, I scrambled down the rooftop, sliding off the rooftop before running towards Caster, not wanting to be left in the open when karma bit me in the ass.

* * *

This is the Hidden Singularity: Roaring Tiger's Dojo. Would you like to continue?

Note: The Tiger Dojo is a strange hint corner. If you enter by yourself, or remain in suspense, you have been warned.

 **1\. Yes.**

2\. No.

* * *

"Welcome back, dear readers!" Taiga greeted, waving cheerily with one hand, "I'm the dedicated host, Taiga Fujimaru!"

"And I'm the No. 1 Student, Illya von Einzbern!" Illya chimed in, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "It's been a while since the last Dojo, hasn't it, sensei?"

"Indeed it was!" Taiga chimed in, before levelling a glare to the side, "It's _such a shame that it couldn't come out sooner._ "

"Hey, I can only do so much at once!" The flaming skull retorted, rattling in the cage, "I have other things to work on, too!"

"Ha! Like I'm supposed to believe that!" Taiga demanded, resting a foot on the cage before pulling out a massive folder full of papers. "In fact, I think it'd be fitting to give the readers some new info as a consolation prize, hmmm?"

"H-hey, that's the draft notes!" The skull stammered, ramming against the cage walls in anger, "They're not supposed to be released yet! I still need to fine-tune them!"

"Ooooh? What's that?" Taiga teased, leaning down to point an ear at him, "You don't want to have these revealed? Well, too bad!" Flipping through the pages, she grinned before ripping a page out. "I think going into detail on the recently revealed Noble Phantasm should be a nice start!" As the cage began to rattle more vigorously, she cleared her throat before starting to list off the details:

 **NAME: Olifant Nemrut [Mountainous Beast of Ivory]**

 **OWNER: Darius III (Rider)**

 **TYPE: Anti-Army**

 **RANK: B (B+)**

 **RANGE: 1-99**

 **MAX. NUMBER OF TARGETS: 100 People**

 **The main mount of the Persian King, it has been noted in history that Darius led his armies into battle with several massive war elephants, using their size to his advantage. Legend has bound these beasts to his Athanaton Ten Thousand, allowing for him to summon them with bodies as skeletal as his men. Despite the multiple beasts under his command, though, there was one he held above the rest: The war elephant Arses, named after the former Persian emperor and close friend. When this beast is summoned, it causes widespread damage to the nearby area. As long as Darius sits in the throne on its back, he has direct control of it, allowing for him to bring devastation to his foes. The beast can be further empowered by the undead soldiers of Darius's army combining with its body, boosting its endurance and granting the ability to emit a vivid green flame.**

"Whoa~" Illya chimed in amazement once Taiga finished reading, "I can't imagine what it would've been like to see them back when they were alive."

"Indeed," Taiga agreed, rubbing her chin in gleeful contemplation, "To see the elephants charge into battle, throwing off any attack that tried to harm them while also sending any … It sends shivers down the spine just thinking about it!" Pumping her fist in the air, she looked back down at the folder and began skimming through it vigorously. "Now, let's see what else we can cover!" She proclaimed, before grinning again and holding the pages open. "In fact, how about we cover what happens to-!"

"Like hell you are!" The cage suddenly jumped up and the skull burst out, knocking Taiga over in the first place and sending the folder flying. Seeing his opportunity, he enveloped the script in transparent blue flames before floating up. "Sorry folks, but I can't let all of the details be given away now. Illya, if you would be so kind as to announce the next chapter?"

"Hey, get back here!" Taiga shouted, and began to chase after the cackling skull.

"R-right!" Illya said, bowing slightly before turning to the 'camera', "Be sure to stay tuned for the next chapter: The Clash of Rusted Blades!" Taiga let out one more scream of rage as she chased after the skull, until one errant swing sent the camera flying back to land on the ground.


End file.
